I thought I gave this review a while back...this story, though a departure from Shapiro's usual hockey story...it is no less compelling. I found the whole story fascinating, and told in his usual easy way. The artwork added the right notes to the story without being overbearing. Loved it.

I had the amazing opportunity to be a beta reader for the script of this book! It was a great experience. I loved that I was finally able to read it with the graphics.

This is an exciting story. Nina is a musician, but her world changes when she meets Nick. He gets her to join a group who is fighting to eliminate Nazis in America. Nina is the only woman in the group and that stirs up a lot of tension. However, she proves that she is as much of an asset as any man.

The final chapters in this book are very fast paced. There are some action scenes that happen quickly. There is also a final twist at the end of the story. Even though I knew it was coming, I was excited to read it again.

I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First, let us talk about how cool a cover this book has. Before even reading one word, the reader is already feeling a noir vibe. Getting into the story, which is very well written, we meet Nina Overstreet. She is a talented and very strong female character. Who also has a sympathetic vibe. It is so cool that she takes martial arts in the 1950's and is a musician. We already know that she is a character who bucks tradition. The writing for the story is concise and fast moving. Which I appreciate. The art is not cartoonish and it gets the point across without being overly minimalistic. I won't go into the plot, so as not to spoil but think Nazis. music, spies, and secret societies. Read it. It is a very fun journey.

Queen of Kenosha: A Solid Music and Soul-driven Secret Agent Comic

First of all, let's just admire that awesome cover.

There's nothing I love more in a comic than an introduction with no dialogue and absolutely gorgeously drawn art. I really got a noir feel for the start of this comic.

It's the late 1950s/early 1960s. We then get introduced to a down-on-her-luck singer/guitarist. I enjoy the show and not tell in this comic. She wants to get an audition with John Cameron - a maker of legends like Bob Dylan. We have a really cool main character sitting with talent but double the doubt.

How does this dialogue not suck you in?

"Thing were a lot easier when we were back home and the biggest decision was choosing to play at a school dance or Frank's diner."

"We certainly ruled in Kenosha. You in your snap-on tool hat and me with my pink cigarette pants."

Like many of us, our protagonist feels like she's still waiting for her life to start - that she is having a watershed moment. I can relate to this immensely - being about the exact age of the protagonist makes me empathise on a deep level.

And her name, is Nina Overstreet. Nina meets a guy in the establishment she just sang at - a guy named Jimmy.

And I absolutely love the "recommended listening" interim pages, so I jammed those songs while reading the comic since they are right up my alley. Definitely switch the flip on these if you decide to read the comic - they set the mood perfectly.

Listening to Joni Mitchell after finding out about her past really tugged at my heart strings
(while she played her guitar strings)

Not only is Nina a musician - she's much more. She has some skills that could be very useful in a sticky situation. I also LOVE her looks. She's got an awesomely bridged, uncharacteristic nose and features that make her feel like she's out of this world- it really adds to the feeling that she's different, she's special, but it's not an in-your-face-I'm-a-YA-heroine archetype.

And so, Jimmy jimmies his way into Nina's life and attempts to get her a job at a very elusive organisation that seems to have had dealings with Nazis and a lot of wars. But he's not really Jimmy - he's Nick, and he gets to her in the nick of time, too.

She's a starving artist barely making ends meet. She lives with her cousin, who foots most of the bills. If we pay her decently, which we can, that will be a huge incentive. In fact we can give her a small starting bonus to show her we can pay.

And so Nina is recruited to help stop a group of Nazis. Sure, Nazis are overdone and just a little corny, but hey - why not?

I also enjoy the side characters, like Nina's cousin and any old folks that Nina speaks to at the bar. I love the relationship between Nina and her cousin, Christina. The emotion just swells from this comic. Ladd and Granger are also pretty fascinating characters.

"Keep doing your best. I think you can make a difference through your voice and actions."

There are so many interesting philosophies and commentating going on in this comic - it's absolutely fantastic. There's so much about love, scraping by in life, deciding on whether to develop a pragmatic skill or your creativity - it's stunning stuff.

Tell me, who are you really?
Hmm. Good question. I'm just a person looking for a way to make a difference. To make my life mean something in this great wide world.
How does that sound?
It sounds like lyrics from a song.

There's a real Dream Works smirk style going on and I love it so much!!!

I'm not going to spoil more of the comic, but I'd just like to say that this is a fantastic read for lovers of classic rock, undercover cops and lots of mystery, character development and intricacies, intrigue and tension. It's definitely not the usual fanfare of comics - it's much more.

Although Granger is an ass and a bit of a misogynist, Nick explains that he saved his life and will always have his respect. I like the philosophy differences between Nick and Nina and the tension - not sexual but romantic and very serious. It's a pretty nail-biting romance and a real will-they-won't-they deal.

I also love the references to artists from the 60s:

The jams I listened to while reading: (from the comic and my own)
Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell
State of Love and Trust - Pearl Jam
Into my Arms - Nick Cave
Diamonds and Rust - Joan Baez
Blowin' in the Wind - Joan Baez
Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Work me, Lord - Janis Joplin
Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed
Passenger - Iggy Pop
Eight Days a Week - the Beatles
Country Roads - John Denver
Bird of a Wire - Leonard Cohen (You've got good taste in music, my man!)
Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
American Pie - Don McLean

P.S. to the author - thank you for killing one of my favourite characters. It turns out I'm still not immune to that shit.

Wrap up: al in all this is a fantastic comic, but I feel that for where it lacks in colour it makes up for in story telling, tension, action and character dynamics to the tenth degree - I'd recommend this to comic lovers and anyone who loves mystery and music.

Nina Overstreet is a struggling musician trying to make it in Greenwich Village in 1963. She, by chance, helps out a man who turns out to be a secret agent hunting down Nazis. She's then recruited into the organization as an agent. Shapiro brings up a lot of issues still plaguing us today, misogyny, racism, and letting the ends justify the means in terms of torture and a citizen's rights. Nina is an extremely strong character not willing to bend her principles who becomes the conscience of her organization. The book does end on a cliffhanger as it's the first book in a planned trilagy. I enjoyed Erica Chan's clean, focused art. It reminded me of Charlie Adlard or Steve Leiber.

This is a nifty, surprisingly action-packed graphic novel that is a timely read in our current national debate about patriotism and liberty.

The Queen of Kenosha is Nina Overstreet, Wisconsin native, reluctant New Yorker, struggling musician and neophyte government agent. Her adventures are a cross between Mission Impossible and the television series The Americans. Nina dreams of becoming a guitar playing folk singing star on the NYC music scene and faces poverty, grinding labor, and exploitation daily. But she also manages the equally sexist, physically challenging, emotionally draining, morally questionable and downright dangerous (but relatively well paid) work of a spy. Nina is up to the challenge and the two fascinating worlds she inhabits shine with complexity, challenges and unexpected beauty.

Nina is tasked along with her partner Nick Ladd of taking down a budding group of Neo-Nazis in NYC. She must handle the ruthless methods they must employ to fight the Fourth Reich and her scruples about the any-means-necessary approach of a shadowy government agency of ex-FBI operatives where individual liberties are thrown aside in pursuit of the Big Bad. Fortunately, Nina is both a martial arts expert, an army brat, an authority-questioning feminist, and a sensitive artist. But she takes a hit, bleeds and gets up again like a real person would, as opposed to a Marvel superhero.

Chan's illustrations are spare yet convey the action-packed nature of the story that well suits the fast pace of the narrative. The playlists provided at the start of each chapter serve as an excellent tool and reflects not just Nina's passion and journey, but the mood of the times. The stretches of debate over civil liberties slow the action but these are important questions to be debated. Being published in a graphic novel format makes the issues more accessible. The Queen of Kenosha would actually serve as an excellent educational tool for teaching students American history, government and civics. Chasing after Nazis ultimately win out over the folk scene in terms of story, but hopefully, there will be more of the latter in the trilogy's next book.

The ending is a punch to the gut for both Nina and then for the reader. Nina is going to have to keep crossing between worlds, clutching her Thin Line Fender all the way.

"Queen of Kenosha" is the first volume in the trilogy series, "The Thin Thinline." The setting is 1963 in the Tri-State (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) and Pennsylvania. Musician Nina Overstreet is trying to make ends meet when she accidentally becomes involved with a U.S. Government Agency whose purpose is to prevent the uprising of the American Nazi Party. A woman working with a government agency in 1963 is essential to the story. In addition, Nina's relationship with her new co-workers and her cousin/manager is what drives her throughout the narrative.

Part music industry story and part mystery/thriller, "Queen of Kenosha" delivers a realistic and gritty story of the present and the hidden social issues during Post World War II and the realities of fulfillment through desire. The characters are what you expect from this genre of fiction, but the pace and the events make it worth your while. The cliffhanger at the end makes you craving for the next volume immediately, but that's what makes a great story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"A coming of age tale, this is the first installment of the Thin Thinline Trilogy, the fiercely independent Nina Overstreet has an axe to grind. A talented singer-songwriter slogging her way through the burgeoning Greenwich Village folk music scene of 1963, the Queen of Kenosha, Wisconsin, realizes that standing on the cusp of stardom gets her little respect and barely a cup of coffee in New York City. It finally comes, but in a way she could have never imagined. A chance encounter with the mysterious Nick Ladd at a late-night gig spins her life in a different direction―one that becomes a daily balance between life and death, right and wrong. Nick recruits Nina to join him and a team of ex-FBI operatives in a clandestine agency to stop the establishment of the Fourth Reich by undercover Nazis in post-War America. It’s a cause Nina believes in … until she’s forced to compromise the very principles of fairness and patriotism she holds dear. As she and Nick grow closer as partners, she forces him to question his own intentions. But as the body count mounts in pursuit of the Nazi ringleader, the evasive Alex, the stakes grow even higher for Nick and Nina."

I think more small towns in Wisconsin need to be represented in books! Congrats Kenosha!

While I liked the main character, there weren't many of the others I took much of a liking to. The storyline seemed to drag a bit in the first half or so, but did pick up once some action started taking place. Now that the basics are laid out, this may not be an issue in future installments - this is the first in a trilogy. Since the story is told almost entirely through dialogue, the conversations can be a bit odd and don't seem realistic. Overall, I think this story as a whole has potential, but I'm not certain I'll be picking up future installments to see how it progresses and ends.

Thank you to the author, Howard Shapiro, and Animal Media Group for the opportunity to read and review this book. All comments are my own, unbiased opinion.

I really liked this graphic novel. Story is really good. Cover is gorgeous. It is pure 60's. Song recommendition parts are amazing too.

This book is very hard to talk about without giving too much away. There is few and far between books that are able to affect me and make me think when I finish the book but this book did. I found myself telling my friends and book club members about it and recommend it to all of them

“A coming of age tale, this is the first installment of the Thin Thinline Trilogy, the fiercely independent Nina Overstreet has an axe to grind. A talented singer-songwriter slogging her way through the burgeoning Greenwich Village folk music scene of 1963, the Queen of Kenosha, Wisconsin, realizes that standing on the cusp of stardom gets her little respect and barely a cup of coffee in New York City…”

Queen of Kenosha is about Nina Overstreet and Nick Ladd, and Nazis. This graphic novel is set in 1963 in Post-War America. The cover is beautiful, and the artwork is stunning. I’ve enjoyed other works by Howard Shapiro, but this one is by far my favourite and I’m really looking forward to the next ones in the trilogy.
The story progressed at a good pace. Decent length for a graphic novel, and I’d even read a full novel about Nina and Nick. I loved their dynamic and their slow-burn relationship, from friendship to budding romance.
I know what time this is set in, but the sexism and racism were a bit hard to swallow; a bit infuriating to be honest. I loved how Nina stood up for herself though and how she didn’t take any shit from anyone.
“…ex-FBI operatives in a clandestine agency to stop the establishment of the Fourth Reich by undercover Nazis…” How cool does that sound? The coolest. And Howard Shapiro delivers with butt-kicking agents and witty dialogue.
THAT CLIFFHANGER THOUGHHHH. Oh mah god. I’d had suspicions but that blew me out of the water. It definitely left me psyched for the next volume.
Queen of Kenosha releases October 9th, and I’d recommend pre-ordering it because it’s sure to be a big hit.

The cover of this book alone is what made me immediately want to read it! And then, reading the premise of a 60s era kickass female songwriter-spy? I'm in. The pacing of the plot felt very slow to start. I found myself skimming large chunks where the two main characters waxed eloquent about their differing (and very one-note) philosophies. I would like to see some more development of the lead, particularly in her music career and songwriting. I have yet to feel much for any of the characters, but I am curious enough that I would look into the second volume of this when it comes out. The twist at the end is fun, which gives me hope. And I was delighted by fun format of recommended listening, and the liner notes at the end of the book.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this, but ended up pleasantly surprised - Nina is a really compelling main character. She is talented, determined, and deeply moral. The world could use more people like Nina Overstreet, especially right now, and I'm very much looking forward to reading more in this series.

Bonus: there are some great track lists included for suggested listening.

Queen of Kenosha by Howard Shapiro

Graphic Novel. Set in 1963, this is the story of Nina Overstreet, an aspiring Greenwich Village folk singer (originally from Kenosha, WI) who gets recruited into a quasi-governmental spy agency that is rooting out remnants of neo-Nazi activity. The premise is that scattered ex-Nazis are still trying to gather forces and build a Fourth Reich in America, and this shadowy crew is going after them by any means necessary. It’s okay as a spy thriller that maybe stretches credibility a bit, but the attraction between Nina and fellow agent Nick Ladd keeps things interesting, and there are plot twists at the end. I liked the anachronistic feminism of Nina, who is adept at martial arts and resists being treated like a typical ‘60s female.
The style and coloring of Erica Chan’s drawings is likeable and noirish. I like the faded brown and army green backgrounds with red, orange, or gold characters, and the style is reminiscent of comics from the 1950s. Reading this as a galley on an iPad was difficult since the lettering and details were really small, even in portrait mode. It’s a bit wordy, especially for an action story. I had to enlarge almost every page. Probably it will look great in print, though. The cover is striking.
A fun detail is the playlist at the beginning of each chapter, which lists several actual songs plus some fictional Nina Overstreet numbers. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this, because Nina isn’t real, but there are lyrics to Nina’s “songs” printed at the end of the book. I also wasn’t sure why some of the real songs were from well after 1963 all the way up to the 1980s. Nina is an intriguing character, and presumably additional volumes will explain the Queen of Kenosha bit, since that has very little to do with the storyline. Also maybe we will learn why this is called the Thin Thinline trilogy.
I appreciate the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm always looking for books that are engaging or educating or hopefully both for YA students. Call this one "engaging."

I received this book in exchange for an honest review which has not altered my opinion of this book.

This was quite a bit of fun and I was able to fly through it. The story had some fun parts to it and I really enjoyed it. our main character, Nina, is an aspiring singer-songwriter who stumbles upon an FBI agent in the middle of a case where they are attempting to take down a group of Nazi underground supporters. 

The only downside was that I think I know what's going to happen in the next two volumes. This being said, I'm still excited to read them and I think that it will be a lot of fun. I do recommend this, 4 out of 5.

I really love graphic novels that have contents like this. It is, in a way, a historical fiction because of the Nazi and such. I love the playlist that was incorporated in each chapter. The color scheme of the artwork fits perfectly well not only to the story but to the era in which the story unfolds. It is enjoyable and kickass all at once. Highly recommending this to anyone who loves graphic novel and good art!

It was an okay read but not exactly thrilling either. I'm very undecided on this book. Could have done with more action.

Queen of Kenosha follows Nina Overstreet, a musician who winds up in the wrong place at the wrong time, or does she? After meeting a guy at a bar he ends up leaving his wallet, and when she goes to return it, she's drawn into a secret world of spies and Nazis.

It's definitely an ambitious story, but it's just a little bit coincidental that Nina is somehow a desirable candidate for being a secret spy, and that she has a connection to the cliffhanger that is set up at the end of this story.

I like that Nina is inarguably a feminist: she wants to succeed in a male dominated world and she won't let anyone talk down to her or deter her from what she wants. That's definitely admirable for the setting of the story, but I sometimes felt like herself and those around her lacked depth Maybe that's because there was more of a focus on the plot than the characters, but some development might have sold the ending a little better.

Overall, an enjoyable and quick read with great colouring work.